Recovery plans for Mozambique's state airline and telco

Minister Magala grasps the nettle with LAM and Tmcel

Good afternoon. There is a lot of news coming out of Mozambique as we head into the long weekend — and Zitamar is observing the easter holiday, so the next edition of this Daily will come out on Tuesday, 11 April.

And there’s a feeling of tying up loose ends, and dealing with outstanding issues. Yesterday afternoon, transport and communications minister Mateus Magala made a major announcement about the future of airline LAM, and telco Tmcel, bringing in outside management consultants to try and turn the companies around. See the full story below.

And the breaking news this afternoon is that the government has published the decree enabling the payment of pensions to demobilised Renamo guerrillas — which will start once the full DDR process has been completed. It is not the olive branch that some had hoped for; Zitamar suggested last week that the government should start paying those fighters who have already demobilised now, as a demonstration of good faith. But it is nevertheless a positive move forward, showing to Renamo beyond reasonable doubt that pensions will be paid once their final base at Gorongosa is decommissioned.

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Agenda:

• Today: President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, visits the Port of Beira, and participates with Filipe Nyusi in the Mozambique - Zambia business forum in the city of Beira

• Tomorrow: Public holiday for Mozambican women's day

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The latest from Zitamar News:

Mozambique calls in South African company to manage national airline
New management commission for LAM will be mirrored at telco Tmcel as government continues to keep options open for bloated and indebted state companies

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From the Zitamar Live Blog:

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The Mozambique government has published the decree enacting pensions for demobilised Renamo fighters under the DDR process — and emphasises that the pensions will take effect once the process has been completed in full

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Also in the news:

• Mozambique may resume supplying power to Zambia 

• More than 9,000 people isolated in Luabo and Chinde 

• Mozambique and Malawi to have four one-stop border posts 

• Mozambique should strengthen maritime security in the Rovuma Basin, says expert

Today’s front pages in Maputo. Photo © Faizal Chauque / Zitamar News